Handcuffed Original version
by Windfield
Summary: Tails was running a charity. He was challenged. The challenge was that he must get a group of six people, handcuffed them together and survive for a week. He had called the Sonic crew for help. The groups of three had been set.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a very, very old fan fiction of mine. I simply am resubmitting it. However, I never did finish this project, due to ahem some misfortunate event that led me to lose my motivation to continue. This is the first original chapter that I wrote for the story._

Summary: Tails had set up a charity. He had been challenged. The challenge was that he must get a group of six people, get each of the member a partner, handcuffed them together and survived for a week. If the challange was successful, Tails would be able to get enough money to support the orphans in the orphanage. The orange fox had asked Sonic and the rest of the crew for help. The girls were more than happy to join. At first, Sonic and Knuckles were relunctant to join. However, they had been challenged by Shadow, who called them 'cowards'. Disliking how they were called, the duo jumped straight into the challenge. Tails himself had decided to join in the 'fun'. He had decided to determine the team by using the old method of matching number. Whoever got the matching will be partnered up with the one who had the same number. Let the game begin!_  
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How ironic, isn't it? At first, he didn't really care who he was going to pair up with, anyone might do, his thought rang out and he thought that the two boys, Sonic and Knuckles were just being cowards for not wanting to participate in this little game. However, all that had changed when he had that small piece of paper, marked with the number '1'. Anyone with a matching number would have to spend a whole week with the other. Sonic had the number '1' on his piece of paper as well. He growled at this and growled some more when his right hand was handcuffed with the blue hedgehog's left hand. 

"Tails, can't I have someone else to pair up with?" He was trying to get himself out from this situation...

"I'm sorry, Shadow," spoke out the eight-year-old. "But everything has been set. It won't be fair for the others if I let you do that."

He scowled and crossed his arms. "Hmph. If I had known that, I wouldn't have gotten myself involved in this pathetic game."

Tails would have to force himself from rolling his eyes. "But Shadow, didn't you say that it isn't fair for the others if one of us back out. You're trying to get yourself out from this fixture, aren't you?"

"I'm not!" He immediately blurted out. "I wasn't trying to do anything."

"Whatever, Shadow. Now hold still. I'm chaining up your hand with Sonic's. It's hard to do it when you're moving around like that."

A snicker. Shadow turned to look at his blue 'partner' and stared at him coldly. Why, of all people, did he have to pair up with Sonic? He had never liked the hedgehog. Just by thinking of him made him mad. His ego, his look and just about anything that related with the blue hedgehog annoyed Shadow. He was sure of it that Sonic had been laughing at him. It was plain obvious as the blue hedgehog had been trying to cover up his mouth with his free hand, most probably trying to hide his laugh but failed to do so. It annoyed him to no end that he was being laughed at especially when his pride was at stake.

"It's not funny, hedgehog. Quit your laughing this instant!"

Typical. He had always been like that. "Tsk, Tsk. How sensitive you are, Shadow," said the blue hedgehog teasingly, shaking his head. "You should loosen up a little. It isn't that bad, hanging out with me. After all, this is only a game. It might be the chance for us to get to know each other, be friends." A mischievous grin.

Shadow glared at the blue hedgehog. Be friends? Over his dead body. He didn't like the idea, not even a single bit. "I'm warning you, faker," Shadow retorted. "Don't ever call me sensitive! And don't you dare think that we'll be friends!"

"Touchy," Sonic muttered. "And I thought Knuckles was the only one who's being over-sensitive."

"Gee thanks, blue hedgehog," Shadow retorted out sarcastically. "I am sure that I will remember that...for a long time!" That was the last straw for him. Shadow made a sudden leap on the blue hedgehog and tried his best to strangle him. Sonic was totally taken aback with surprise and let out a small yelp.

"Cut it out, Shadow! Have you gone nuts?!"

"As if I care!"

"Stop it, Shadow," yelled out the orange kitsune who was just as surprise with the sudden outburst. But it was no use. The two hedgehogs were now struggling on one another, both refusing to give up. Sonic was fighting for his life while Shadow was fighting for the blue hedgehog's death. Feeling very frustrated, Tails took a step back and took a deep breath. "I said stop it!!" With all of his strength, he kicked the black hedgehog's backside. Shadow collapsed down onto the ground, shocked but not injured. He got himself up and gave a death glare at the kitsune.

"What was that for?!" he shouted.

"To stop you from killing Sonic!" Tails yelled back. "What are you trying to do? Get yourself in trouble? You will be charged for murder!"

Since Tails was standing so close to the black hedgehog, the outburst was too loud for his ears to take. He closed his eyes and wished that he would die right this instant. Damn fox. For a little guy like him, he sure had a loud voice.

And so, the stressful and yet, frustrating day began. Shadow was told to control his temper, no matter how Sonic annoyed him, or he would have to spend the whole weekend sleeping outside the workshop. Currently, Shadow was staying with the little kitsune as he had no other place to live in. And Sonic was told that Tails didn't want trouble coming from the blue hedgehog himself as well.

Shadow glared at Sonic coldly. Both were at the fighting stances. It disgusted him with the whole idea, spending the time with his nemesis.

_I hate you, Sonic. I really do._


	2. Chapter 2

"A number '2'?!" She looked at her piece of paper, emerald eyes constantly blinking. "And that means I'll be pairing up with Tails. But I want Sonic! This isn't the number I want." She was disappointed, feeling very dissatisfied with the result. It would have been wonderful if she had that piece of paper, marked with number '1'. Imagine what she could do with the blue hedgehog and there was no way he could outrun her.

"You should consider yourself lucky, Amy. Look at what I got," Knuckles retorted rather miserably. It looked like she wasn't the only one who was unhappy with the result. She turned to look back at the echidna and tilted her head to look at his piece of paper. It was marked with the number '3' on it.

"What?" She looked back at the echidna, slightly bemused. "Is it a bad number?"

A frown. She... didn't understand him, did she? "Don't you get it? I'm pairing up with Rouge!"

"Rouge?"

The echidna nodded. "And I don't like it."

"But, why? I don't see anything wrong with it."

Though the question was asked, it wasn't answered by the red echidna. He instead made a slight hint for her to look at the opposite side of the room. It had taken a few seconds for the hedgehog to realize on what he was trying to do. She glanced at the place where he had pointed. Rouge was standing there, talking to Tails. At first, the white bat didn't notice that the two were looking at her. But when she slanted her head, she saw them. A small smile appeared on her face. She seemed to be pleased at something. One hand was raised and she waved at them.

"Well, she does seem to look okay. Just what's the main problem here?" Amy turned to look back at the red echidna. But found that he wasn't there. "Knuckles?" Strange, she was sure that he had been standing behind her. She glanced around. And saw a red tail sticking out behind a wooden furniture. Weird. She scratched her head. Why would he be hiding like that? But then, her mind started to get dirty. She took a few steps forward towards the echidna and carried out her plan.

"Now where did that echidna go?" she asked, trying to make it sound as natural, so that he wouldn't suspect anything, acting like she was trying to find the missing echidna. She grinned devilishly as she looked at his tail. Only another step ahead. "Ahah, there he is!" The moment she said that, she used her right leg to step on the tail and the next came was the piercing scream.

The whole house must have shaken when he screamed but strangely enough, no one came to see what had happened. Amy Rose knew that she was in trouble, especially when she had offended a hot-headed echidna. Knuckles growled at her and wasted no time to get up and gave chase.

She ran as fast as she could, up the stairs, through the corridor and into the master bedroom. The moment she got there, she slammed the door shut, just in time before the red echidna could go in and get her.

"Open up, Amy!" shouted out the echidna angrily. "Open the door." There were several knocks on the door but the hedgehog refused to open it. Instead of feeling afraid, she was giggling, knowing too well that he wouldn't hurt her. She was only testing out his patience, nothing more.

"Amy! Can't you hear me?! Open the door! Damnit!"

Angered, the echidna kicked the door, venting out his frustration. He shouldn't have done that though. It pained his leg and he screamed. _Great, first my tail and now my leg_. She was now clenching onto her stomach, tears streaming out from her eyes. That was so funny! Amy would soon have to stop herself from laughing. It was starting to kill her. Though serious, she had always seen the echidna as a sort of a guy who was funny, and yet didn't know it.

"Alright, Knuckles." She decided to give in. Her curiosity got the better of her. "I'll open the door. But first, you must tell me, just why did you hide yourself? And what is wrong to have a partner like Rouge?"

"Spare me, Amy. I really do not want to waste my time on this."

A slight frown. That wasn't the exact answer that she was looking for... "You're not answering me properly, Knuckles."

"Amy!" he shouted. But, he received no answer from the pink hedgehog. He sighed. He wasn't going to get this little hedgehog out, was he? "Alright, I'll tell you." Amy's eyes almost immediately lit up.

Knuckles had always been a loner, standing guard the Master Emerald alone in the Floating Island. He wasn't able to get out much and had a good conversation with someone other than himself. Due to that, he had some really poor social skill and had developed a certain fear, caligynephobia. He was afraid that he wasn't able to talk to...

_Wait, wait, wait. Hold it right there._ "Calogine… gino... what?"

He sighed. "Caligynephobia, the fear of…" He swallowed. There was a lump in his throat and it was making him nervous. He looked around. No one. That was good. He cupped his hand and put it near his mouth. With his face facing the door, he whispered. "...women..."

"You're scare of women?!?" the hedgehog exclaimed, not believing on what she had just heard.

It nearly sent panic in his head. He immediately placed a finger (if he had one) on his mouth and whispered. "Be quiet, Amy! What if someone hears you?"

"Oops." The hedgehog covered her mouth, realizing just how loud her voice was. "Sorry about that." A slight relief for the echidna. "But, you're scared of women?"

"Stop that, Amy. You're repeating on what you've just said!" It was starting to annoy him.

The door creaked open. Out came the pink hedgehog, shocked and confused, mouth slightly ajar.

"I don't believe you," she stated out. "You don't seem to be scared of me."

He sighed some more. "Well, caligynephobia is actually a word for the..." He looked at Amy, feeling not entirely sure if he should tell her. "...fear of pretty girls."

"Pretty girls?" The hedgehog' face fell flat. And then, a frown. "What? Are you trying to say that I'm ugly?" She was angered. With her piko piko hammer at hand (which it came slightly out of nowhere), she was threatening to bonk his head. Veins started to pop out of her head.

"No, that's not it." He nervously shook his head, without getting his eyes off the hammer, fearing for the worst. "Don't get me wrong here, Amy. The truth is, you're more in the 'cute' category than 'pretty'."

A slight pause. _Huh? Cute? Pretty?_ It had taken her some time before she could catch the words the echidna had blurted out, the words were jumbled up, and realized that it was all but a misunderstanding. "You think I'm cute?" A slight blush from the echidna but he managed to give out a nod. She smiled. "Why, thanks, Knuckles. That was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I really do appreciate it. It's too bad that you're not Sonic though."

The echidna breathed with a sigh of relief, glad to know that everything had been cleared out.

"Wait a second." Realization hit her. "You think that Rouge... is beautiful?" It nearly disgusted her to think that the echidna was... you know.

Knuckles' face was suddenly flushed up with redness. "Amy!" he yelled at her. "This isn't what I meant!"

She bit her lower lip, in order to stop herself from laughing again. "Take it easy, Knuckles," she stated out. "Take that I hadn't said anything, okay?"

He scoffed. "It isn't funny, girl."

The pink hedgehog smiled. It really was nice to spend some fun time with him, though the echidna hadn't realized much of her thoughts yet. But then, things started to get serious again. Her smile faded. This could be a major problem for Knuckles.

"But, what about the game? We'll have to tell the others."

A slight moan. "No, Amy. Don't ever do that. They'll laugh at me, for sure."

"Geesh, Knuckles, just what is your problem?"

"Don't you get it? They'll laugh and make fun of me especially that blue hedgehog. Sonic will definitely seize the chance to get me. I will be humiliated for life!"

She cocked her eyebrow, not believing on what he had just said. "Humiliated for life? Is it that bad?"

"Please, Amy." He was begging her... It was kind of awkward for the young hedgehog, since Knuckles had never begged anyone before. Well, that was what she had thought. "Don't tell anyone about it."

She sighed but strangely enough, felt sorry for the red echidna. The whole situation was a little laughable though... "Alright Knuckles. But how are you going to face Rouge? I mean, you're going to spend your entire week with her!"

"I know that! You don't have to remind me."

"Hmm...this is going to be a problem." Her left hand was placed on her right arm and the right arm was touching her cheek. She was deep in thoughts. Time seemed to go slow. A minute later, she snapped her fingers. A broad smile. "Hey, Knuckles. I think I have a solution."


End file.
